While reading through the exhibits at the Genocide museum in Kigali, Rwanda recently, I came across the word Hamitic. I’m not fully sure why this word stuck out like a sore thumb, but I decided to look more into it – Hamitic simply means being a descendant of Ham. Ham was one of the 3 sons of Noah. A false theory developed overtime, amongst many, that those of Ham’s lineage were different and perhaps inferior. Which fascinates me because I noticed that some of God’s biggest generals have names that end in Ham; Abraham, Graham, Branham etc). Being of Ham or of Shem is a divider negating the fact that all are of Adam. The Belgians used this Hamitic notion to colonize the Rwandans, they used the old political playbook termed: “divide and conquer”, entrenching into Rwandans that they were different. That they were Hutu and Tutsi. Within a few years, about 800,000 Tutsi lost their lives in a genocide carried about by their Hutu brothers. Hamitic has been the biggest driver of man’s inhumanity to man. Think about it: The Rwandan and Bosnian Genocides, the Holocaust, slavery, numerous wars – these can all be traced to this evil concept. That “they” are not like us. That “they” exist to make us miserable.

 

Division Benefits Neither of Us

The Lord impressed on my spirit many years ago to move back to Indiana from California. I knew in me that I would have made it had I remained in Silicon Valley, but for an internal rift. And while it all played greatly towards my ministerial calling, I couldn’t ignore that it’s difficult to succeed when there is division. Despots since antiquity subscribe to the tenet, that to rule people, you must cause division among them. Even recent international elections have been about “us” vs. “them”, blacks vs. whites, natives vs immigrants, men vs women. As long as the people are separated by their differences, tyrants will always rule. As long as friends quarrel, enemies will always get the promotions.

 

A More Excellent Way

Your family would be indomitable if it had unity. Your Church will be potent if there was love one for another. Your marriage would be a driving engine of growth and prosperity if you’d stick together instead of bad mouthing each other. Scripture reminds that you will be known as a disciple of Christ, not for your Hamitic views towards others, but by your love one for another. Edward Coke, one of the greatest jurist of the Elizabethan era, summed it up in latin: “Eritis insuperabiles, si fueritis inseparabiles”. This means: “You would be insuperable if you were inseparable”. How true that statement is for Rwanda. And how true that statement is for you.

And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. – Genesis 11:6